Ag Communications

A statement or advertisement broadcast, usually for free, on radio or television to promote an event or idea that benefits the community is called a...
A. public station address
B. press style announcement
C. personal station archive
D. public service announcement

D. public service announcement

Scripts for broadcast news stories are typically \____________ than average news stories in newspapers.
A. shorter
B. longer
C. more humorous
D. more descriptive

A. Shorter

Broadcast news stories are built around taped excerpts from recorded interviews, commonly called ...
A. blurbs
B. news clips
C. captions
D. sound bites

D. sound bites

Broadcast writing calls for a tone that is ...
A. technical
B. conversational
C. poetic
D. educational

B. conversational

5. From a public relations perspective, what is a primary benefit of having a television or radio news story broadcast about your organization or event?
A. good depth of coverage
B. targeted to a narrowly defined audience
C. great textual detail
D. perceived as highly credible

D. perceived as highly credible

Headlines should be written in ...
A. passive voice and past tense
B. active voice and present tense
C. active voice and past tense
D. passive voice and present tense

B. active voice and present tense

A news story about a cow in another country that had quadruplets, all of which survived, is newsworthy to an agricultural audience because of...
A. timeliness
B. proximity
C. uniqueness
D. B and C

C. uniqueness

Paraphrasing a subject's quotation to make it clearer for audience members usually involves using a(n) ...
A. direct quote
B. indirect quote
C. partial quote
D. second-hand quote

B. indirect quote

People are most interested in news that is ...
A. local and timely
B. national and timely
C. unique and international
D. unique and national

A. local and timely

Most leads in news stories are \_____________ long.
A. one sentence
B. two sentences
C. three sentences
D. four sentences

A. one sentence

The main purpose of public relations is to ...
A. deliver news to the public
B. sell a product or service
C. compete in the marketplace
D. develop and maintain an image

D. develop and maintain an image

\______________ is the term used to describe efforts to build relationships with journalists in order to capture positive news coverage.
A. news relations
B. media relations
C. public relations
D. community relations

B. media relations

A catch phrase used in a communications campaign to help an organization establish its public identity is called a...
A. highlight phrase
B. logo
C. slogan
D. boilerplate

C. slogan

A \________________ is a packet of printed materials often distributed to journalists at press conferences to enable them to write and report well-informed, educated stories about an organization.
A. news release
B. news folder
C. backgrounder
D. press kit

D. press kit

Characteristics of audience members that help define the best methods to communicate with an audience are called ...
A. audience profiles
B. demographics
C. audience angles
D. marketing characteristics

B. demographics

The two primary kinds of typefaces used in newspaper design are ...
A. block and italic
B. natural and bold
C. Times and Times New Roman
D. serif and sans-serif

D. serif and sans-serif

The text that describes a visual in a layout is referred to as a ...
A. caption or cutline
B. boilerplate or end text
C. boilerplate or end sign
D. caption or pull quote

A. caption or cutline

If a photograph's original width is 10 inches in height by 8 inches in width, and a designer resizes it proportionately to a width of 2 inches, what is the height of the resized photograph?
A. 2.5 inches
B. 5 inches
C. 4 inches
D. 2 inches

A. 2.5 inches

Pie charts are the best visuals to ...
A. demonstrate trends
B. compare actual values
C. compare percentages
D. demonstrate growth over time

C. compare percentages

A common photography guideline that helps photographers compose more visually pleasing photos is the ...
A. inverted pyramid
B. rule of thirds
C. dynamic visual guideline
D. optical theorem

B. rule of thirds

One public relations practice that is clearly not ethical is ...
A. purchasing advertising space in order to receive more positive news coverage
B. sending positively worded news releases out to targeted journalists who may be interested
C. holding a press conference in the well-landscaped garden area of a corporate headquarters
D. providing journalists with colorful photos that could accompany a news story

A. purchasing advertising space in order to receive more positive news coverage

Which is the most important aspect of good news reporting?
A. accuracy
B. creativity
C. formatting
D. timeliness

A. accuracy

Which practice is largely considered unethical in news reporting?
A. using indirect quotes
B. reporting the journalist's opinion in a news story
C. copying information word-for-word from news releases
D. using graphics software to prepare images for print

B. reporting the journalist's opinion in a news story

When is it appropriate for journalists to write about or report their opinions?
A. in a news feature story
B. in an opinion column
C. in a television news report
D. never

B. in an opinion column

The \__________________ protects free speech and freedom of the press in the United States.
A. First Amendment
B. Fifth Amendment
C. Declaration of Independence
D. Bill of Ethical Standards

A. First Amendment

Feature stories are often written with a(n) \_________ angle
A. summary
B. impact
C. human interest
D. policy

C. human interest

PSA stands for ...
A. public station address
B. press style announcement
C. personal station archive
D. public service announcement

D. public service announcement

The information at the end of a news story that follows the inverted
pyramid format should be...
A. the least important
B. the most important
C. a quotation
D. a statistic

A. the least important

A byline in a news story is...
A. the name of the place B. the last paragraph of the story
where the story was written
C. the author's name D. the first paragraph of the story

C. the author's name

To identify who they are and what organization they represent,
broadcasters sometimes \___________ at the beginning of a news story.
A. insert a quote
B. sign on
C. lead in
D. attribute

B. sign on

Choose the correctly capitalized and punctuated name, according to AP
style.
A. Tyson Foods Inc.
B. Tyson Foods, INC
C. Tyson Foods, Inc.
D. Tyson Foods Incorporated

A. Tyson Foods Inc.

The duty of print and broadcast journalists is to ...
A. tell the story.
B. set up staged news events
if it will help inform the
public.
C. seek the truth and provide
a fair and comprehensive
account of events and
issues.
D. get the story as quickly as
possible.

C. seek the truth and provide
a fair and comprehensive
account of events and
issues.

The type of graphic you should use when comparing percentages is a ...
A. line chart
B. horizontal bar chart
C. pie chart
D. scattergram

C. pie chart

The rule of thirds is most commonly associated with ...
A. print journalism
B. broadcast news writing
C. web design
D. photography

D. photography

At the bottom of a press release some communicators include a(n) \_____
which contains background information about the company or
organization for which the press release is being written.
A. contact line
B. boilerplate
C. date line
D. slug line

D. slug line

11. Web designers use design software like Dreamweaver to generate code,
which can be read and displayed on-screen by web browsers in the form
of Web pages. The language used for this code is ...
A. hypertext markup
language
B. standard generalized
markup language
C. hyperlink language
D. C + +

A. hypertext markup
language

In news reporting, the journalist's opinion ...
A. should be clearly stated
B. should be stated at the end
of the story
C. should never be stated
D. should be stated at the
beginning of the story

C. should never be stated

Broadcast news stories should ...
A. be simple
B. be longer than print stories
C. use complex sentences to
help explain complex topics
D. be informative and
presented in great detail like
a documentary

A. be simple

In broadcast news scripts, spellings included for words and names that
are difficult to pronounce are called ...
A. sound bytes
B. phoenetic spellings
C. direct quotes
D. "sound-likes"

B. phoenetic spellings

15. In AP style, headlines should be spelled with...
A. all upper case
B. all initial capitals
C. all lower case except for
the first word and proper
nouns
D. all capitalized except for
articles (a, an, the)

C. all lower case except for
the first word and proper
nouns

When reporters report both sides of an issue, the journalistic
characteristic that describe their coverage is ...
A. balanced
B. even
C. public relations
D. encompassing

A. balanced

To attract attention, some designers will design a page that is heavier on
one side than it is on the other. This design decision relates to the design
principle of ...
A. sequence
B. contrast
C. simplicity
D. balance

D. balance

Is the following statement true or false? If a graphic designer for a news
publication can make a photographed subject look better with
manipulation, he/she should.
A. true B. false

B. false

Which is most important in news reporting?
A. accuracy
B. complexity
C. timeliness
D. image-building

A. accuracy

Which end sign(s) is (are) appropriate for use at the conclusion of a news
release?
A. THE END
B. -stop-
C. -30-
D. b and c

C. -30-

Which is the best way to make a news release more newsworthy?
A. use it to sell a product
B. add a local angle
C. send it out three weeks
early
D. create a catchy headline

B. add a local angle

In which person should news be written?
A. first
B. second
C. third
D. b and c

C. third

Which are characteristics that make stories newsworthy?
A. uniqueness and
prominence
B. length and photos
C. humor and length
D. uniqueness and opinion

A. uniqueness and
prominence

If a newspaper, TV or radio journalist is covering the American Farm
Bureau National Convention, it is acceptable for the journalist's travel to
be paid for by Farm Bureau?
A. yes
B. no

B. no

If a newspaper editor receives a news release and it is timely and written
according to Associated Press style exactly, is the editor bound by ethics
to print the story?
A. yes
B. no

B. no

In using the FORK method of organizing an agricultural story, the R stands for:
A. Reorganization
B. Repetition of key words
C. Rollover
D. Resubmit

B. Repetition of key words

Which is not a considered a principle of design:
A. White Space
B. Proportion
C. Balance
D. Color

D. Color

The basic compositional principle in photography one should take in to consideration is:
A. Elemental Order
B. Primary Positioning
C. Rule of Thirds
D. Centrifugal Rule

C. Rule of Thirds

Agricultural news writers often use the \________ form of writing, in which important is written early in the story:
A. Full Circle
B. Chi Square
C. Four Corners
D. Inverted Pyramid

D. Inverted Pyramid

Line charts show \__________ data over a specific period of time:
A. Descriptive
B. Qualitative
C. Historical
D. Quantitative

C. Historical

Which of the following are the correct AP style abbreviations for Arkansas, Alaska, and Arizona?
A. AR, AK, AZ
B. Ark., Alk., Az
C. Ark., Alaska, Ariz.
D. Ar., Ak, Ariz.

C. Ark., Alaska,Ariz.

A portion of an interview edited into a story is called\__________.
A. Video
B. A soundbite
C. Narration
D. the Interviewee

B. A soundbite

The optimal format, mode and resolution for photos used on the Web is:
A. .tiff, CMYK, &300 dpi
B. .gif, RGB, & 72 dpi
C. .jpg, RGB, & 72 dpi
D. .jpg, CMYK, & 72 dpi

C. .jpg, RGB, & 72 dpi

\__________ is key when developing successful Web sites in today's technological world.
A. Usability
B. Money
C. Entertainment
D. Frontpage

A. Usability

The portion of a press release that contains the location (city, state) of the story in all capital letters and followed by a dash is the:
A. Heading
B. Dateline
C. Location Line
D. Headline

B. Dateline

For agricultural communicators, it is acceptable to occasionally write a story disregarding ethics.
A. True
B. False

B. False

In writing for broadcast, use only one idea per sentence.
A. True
B. False

A. True

It is unethical for journalists to accept gifts, favors, fees, and free travel from outside sources.
A. True
B. False

A. True

An impact lead answers the who, what, when, where and how of a news story.
A. True
B. False

B. False

Using Flash animation and audio clips on a Web site is always desirable.
A. True
B. False

B. . False

News stories should be written in passive voice.
A. True
B. False

B. False

This sentence is written in the correct style for broadcast: U-S-D-A SECRETARY IS MIKE JOHANNS.
A. True
B. False

A. True

Broadcast scripts are written in lowercase letters.
A. True
B. False

B. False

A news story deals with people, focusing on specific but unusual achievements or events.
A. True
B. False

B. False

Graphic designers can "fix" photos using software in such a way it alters the picture significantly.
A. True
B. false

B. False

Admitting mistakes and correcting them properly is a general principal of ethics.
A. True
B. False

A. True

It is not necessary to provide a link to a printable format when publishing documents on the Web because it is available on the screen.
A. True
B. False

B. False

A link to the home page should be consistently placed on each page of a Web site in order to always provide a way home.
A. True
B. False

A. True

Sending a press release that has few grammar and spelling errors is forgivable; editors will correct them for you.
A. True
B. False

B. False

Asymmetrical balance uses the visual mass of objects on the page to balance each side.
A. True
B. False

A. True

Which of the following states is INCORRECTLY abbreviated?
A. Principle Tower 8301 Grand Ave.
Des Moines, IA 50301
B. The Texas Ranger was from Hamilton, Tex.
C. The skier hurt her knee in Aspen, Colo.
D. The firefighters worked diligently to extinguish the blaze before it burned all of Massachusetts.

B. The Texas Ranger was from Hamilton, Tex.

At the bottom of a press release many reporters include a \_____, which contains background information about the company or organization for which the press release is being written.
A. contact line
B. boilerplate
C. date line
D. \# \# \#

D. \# \#

\#A \_________ story deals with people, focusing on specific but unusual achievements or events.
A. filler
B. column
C. feature
D. new

C. feature

Identify the CORRECTLY capitalized choice:
A. The donated land was near the River.
C. The chapter banquet was held on Main street.
B. Main, Elm and Iowa Streets all are in need of repair after the hard winter.
D. Members from the Democratic, Republican and Green parties were in attendance.

D. Members from the Democratic, Republican and Green parties were in attendance.

Identify the correctly spelled choice:
The opposite of lowercase letters are \_____________ letters.; A building in which the US Congress meets is the \______________.
A. Capital, Capitol
B. Capitol, Capital
C. Capital, Capital
D. None of the above, they are all
incorrect.

A. Capital, Capitol

Which of the following is CORRECT? A. The wind was out of the West.
C. The graduate student from the Midwest was very talented.
B. That young man had a southern accent.
D. The ice storm that hit Iowa was headed Eastward.

C. The graduate student from the Midwest was very talented.

Which of the following is CORRECT?
A. The teacher instructed the students to use the Internet to find the correct answer.
B. The Internet can be a useful tool. In fact, the Net is one of the most commonly cited sources of information.
C. For more information go to: http://www.ttu.edu.
D. All of the above are correct.

D. All of the above are correct.

Identify the ellipsis:
A. . . .
B. ( )
C. { }
D. *

A. . . .

Which if the following is INCORRECT?
A. Web site
B. website
C. World Wide Web
D. webcam

A. Web site

The \________ sentence in a photo caption provides background on news and shows significance of the photo.
A. fourth
B. only
C. starter
D. second

B. only

True or False
"Mispelled" is spelled correctly.

False

The date in this sentence is abbreviated correctly. "The livestock show is on Mar. 30, 2009."

False

This sentence is properly capitalized. "Agriculture commissioner Todd Staples said the drought is costing Texas agriculture nearly $1 billion."

False

This sentence is abbreviated correctly. "Tom Vilsack is the secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture."

True

Writers should mention an organization's name in full the first time mentioned in news stories.

True

This sentence is properly capitalized. "Students will attend the 81st Annual Texas FFA Convention."

False

The approved format for writing a numbered address in news writing is 101 S. Third St.

True

"Thoroughbred" is spelled correctly.

True

This sentence is hyphenated correctly. "The vice-president of the Texas Farm Bureau visited Texas Tech University."

False

In news writing, the approved abbreviation for Texas is TX.

False

"Hemorhage" is spelled correctly.

False

Write out the days of the week in news writing.

True

This sentence is punctuated correctly. "Research in wind energy might bring new economic opportunities to residents in the Panhandle," Ayers said.

True

"Wheather" is spelled correctly.

False

This sentence is punctuated correctly. "FFA'ers participated in the Agricultural Communications Career Development Event in Lubbock, Texas."

True